250 EXPEDITION INTO 



val was turned to account by Coeur de Lion in cooking- pro- 

 visions^ a man having* been sent in advance to collect fuel^ 

 whicli^ however, proved to be abundant. At leng-th the 

 exploring parties returned — one of them having* discovered 

 a practical ford two miles hig*her up the stream, whilst the 

 other had fallen in, to the westward, with the skeletons of 

 several horses, tog-ether with some fresh human remains, 

 which, from the dimensions of the crania, they declared to 

 be those of Dutch Boors. A favourite wheel-ox, that had 

 fallen sick the preceding day, being* now unable to proceed 

 farther, Claas, at his own request, was permitted to put the 

 unfortunate beast out of its misery —a task which he accom- 

 plished in five clumsy shots. 



The perpendicular character of the bank rendered a sliid, 

 or as it is termed by the Colonists, a rem-scoen, necessary 

 upon each hind wheel, in addition to the drag* chain j but 

 even after this precaution, the weig-ht of the vehicles caused 

 them to descend with frig*htful velocity. Safely arrived at 

 the bottom, the long- wag*g*on presently settled down to the axle 

 in a quicksand, the team also sinking* to their bellies ; and 

 it was not until our remaining* supply of flour and sugar 

 had been spoiled in the water, during an attempt which w as 

 made to drag the van out backwards, that the latter was at 

 length unloaded, and towed on shore by the application of a 

 twenty-four ox power. In commemoration of this disaster, 

 the treacherous stream was christened by the Hottentots, 

 Sant Hiviere, or Sand River, by which homely designation 

 it will be recognised in the map as a tributary of the Likwa. 



We had not advanced above ten miles, before a violent 

 storm of hail and rain obliged us again to halt on the open 

 heath. Piet, who had gone in advance to reconnoitre, lost 

 his way, and did not rejoin the party until midnight, having 

 at length been attracted by the signals made, and by Coeur 

 de Lion's kitchen fire, which, on account of the weather. 



